Community Partners

The Lightbox collaborates with a number of local community groups. Here are three case studies of engagement with local partners:

'The Ingram Collection: Skyscapes' exhibition:

Skyscapes was the result of a collaboration between The Lightbox, 3 artists, 6 organisations and many adults with learning difficulties.

The 3 artists, Tozzy Bridger, Jono Retallick and Mary Branson worked for months with the participants and staff from 6 organisations to produce prints and cloud sculptures in response to works selected from The Ingram Collection of Modern British Art. Chris Ingram kindly allowed his artworks to be physically present during many of the workshops, as well as being shown as part of the exhibition. The exhibition was on show in the Main Gallery in 2014.

The 6 collaborating organisations – in addition to The Lightbox – are Activity Xtra, ArtBox Surrey, Geesemere Day Centre, The Harbour Day Centre, LinkAble and Cranstock Day Centre.Stitching Your Memories

We have collaborated on a number of projects with older people in the local community.

Some recent projects include a project at Moorcroft Day Centre, where centre users put together a fabric piece, 'Stitching Your Memories', choosing to produce through knitting, crochet, felt, pompoms, bobbles, French knitting and finger knitting. Working with fabric artist Kathryn Hitchings, they incorporated elements of their own memories into the final work, which was displayed at The Lightbox.

At The Vyne Community Centre, artist Sue Halloway worked with a group to develop their drawing and painting skills in reponse to works in The Ingram Collection of Modern British and Contemporary Art. The works were exhibited at The Lightbox.

Both projects were part of the 'Our Museum' initiative, funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

'Muslim Voices: Songs of Faith and Devotion' exhibition:

A collaboration with members of the local Muslim community and the Shah Jehan Mosque resulted in an exhibition in the Art Fund Prize Gallery. The exhibition ‘Muslim Voices: Songs of Faith and Devotion’ featured a specially commissioned film and sound installation focusing on contemporary expressions of traditional Islamic poetry with cross generational and cross-cultural participants and artists.

The installation showed local Muslim elders singing traditional poetry in Urdu and Arabic, wearing traditional dress and younger Muslims reading English translations of the same poems. This collaboration and exhibition is recognition of the deep love in the reciting and singing of Sufi poetry in the Muslim community and aims to bring the beauty of this poetry and singing to as wide an audience as possible.

The artistic team for the project was led by sound artist Matthew Sansom. Also involved in the project were film makers Mansoor Suleman and Adam Shamash along with Luqman Ali and Eleanor Martin of Khayaal Theatre. The exhibition was shown from 4 February 2015 until 15 March 2015.